Inp.polri.go.id - Makassar. The joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team made significant progress on Thursday (22/1/2026), recovering the remains of nine passengers from the wreckage of the Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) ATR 42-500. 

The aircraft, carrying ten people, crashed into Mount Bulusaraung, Pangkep, South Sulawesi, on Saturday. Chief of the National Search and Rescue Agenc (Basarnas) Air Marshal Mohamad Syafii confirmed that the remains, found in fragmented condition, are currently being airlifted from a 350-meter-deep ravine using specialized vertical rescue techniques.

"We have recovered nine body parts and aircraft fragments; however, the final victim count and identities must be verified through the forensic reconciliation process," Chief Syafii said, as quoted by antaranews.com.

The recovered remains are being transported to the Bhayangkara Hospital’s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) center in Makassar. 

To date, a flight attendant and a government official have been identified and returned to their families. Meanwhile, the aircraft’s black box has been recovered intact and is scheduled for transfer to the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) in Jakarta. Recovery efforts for the final passenger continue, though operations remain hampered by extreme terrain and volatile weather conditions.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)